Friday, February 26, 2010

While thumbing through the current issue of my National Geographic Magazine, I ran across this interesting blurb:

The United States spends more on medical care per person than any country, yet life expectancy is shorter than in most other developed nations and many developing ones. Lack of health insurance is a factor in life span and contributes to an estimated 45,000 deaths a year. Why the high cost? The U.S. has a fee-for-service system—paying medical providers piecemeal for appointments, surgery, and the like. That can lead to unneeded treatment that doesn’t reliably improve a patient’s health. Says Gerard Anderson, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who studies health insurance worldwide, “More care does not necessarily mean better care.” —Michelle Andrews (emphasis mine)

It was accompanied by this chart, which pretty much spells out everything (click on the chart to enlarge):

Naturally, I navigated over to their web site and found the article so I could post it here.

This is one of the reasons I've always loved this magazine.

Clear, concise comparisons.

After taking a look at this, even the most ignorant American has to realize that there is something terribly, terribly wrong with this picture.

Most countries with "socialized" health care are doing far better at keeping their citizens alive... and doing it far more cheaply than we do.

Republican Jim Bunning, US Senator from Kentucky, is preventing an estimated 1.2 million American workers from prematurely losing their unemployment benefits next month.

See, Bunning wants the unemployment benefit extension to come out of Stimulus funds (which I'm pretty sure he voted against in the first place), otherwise it will be "deficit spending." So he opposes it.

UPDATE: It gets even better (or worse). According to Bob Cesca's sources, Bunning's petulant "tough shit" behavior has other unintended consequences... like blocking the release of Highway Trust Fund money for the next 30 days... effectively shutting down the DOT and furloughing its employees.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Who in the hell in Congress wouldn't want to pass a bill that creates more jobs for Americans? A bill to help create jobs for a hurting America seems like it should be a no-brainer, right?

Even a paltry $15 billion measure to create jobs should get no opposition.

Question: Who in their right mind would think that making Democrats (and this President in particular) fail is more important than helping American workers?

The GOP, that's who.

Yes, it was a trick question... the "in their right mind" part should have been the giveaway!

Today, in Washington, DC, a procedural vote (called cloture) was held to determine whether or not a Jobs Bill would reach the floor for a vote. Under current filibuster rules, a bill needs at least 60 votes to end debate, and bring the measure to the floor for a pass/fail vote.

The GOP tried to filibuster the measure, and something very unusual happened: They failed.

Newly-elected Republican Senator (and former Cosmo centerfold) Scott Brown (R-MA) - whose election the GOP cheered and chortled about because his vote made sure the Democrats no longer had the 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster - bucked his party and voted for moving the bill to the floor.

The irony is delicious.

Brown was joined by Maine's Republican Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. When it comes to procedural votes, Snowe has locked horns with her party before, and both Collins and Snowe have made it clear that they will put party differences aside to create jobs.

Other Republicans joining Brown were Sen. George Voinovich (OH) and Sen. Kit Bond (Mo.), who are both retiring... and therefore have nothing to lose by telling their GOP colleagues to stuff it - after no doubt getting some concessions from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reed (D-NV) for their "Yea" votes.

So, by a tally of 62-30, the Jobs Bill evaded the dreaded filibuster and is headed to the floor for an up-or-down vote.

Unsurprisingly, Alaska's Mark Begich voted with most of the Democrats to move the bill to the floor.